Post by carsonkeeter on Aug 19, 2017 8:26:51 GMT -7
You're stressed. You're tired. You're frustrated. Your auto-track doesn't work. Here is a set by step to both alleviate and add to the stress of launch day. We're bringing it back to the old days of protractors and excel spreadsheets.
Excel Spreadsheet: Launch Day Manual Track.xlsx (30.59 KB)
The attached excel spreadsheet converts:
1) Open your "Antenna Tracker and RFD Controls"
2) Go to Settings and make sure you have these settings and follow:
3) Use SPOT Tracker, APRS beacon, Iridium Tracker, or whatever additional tracking system you use to find the initial coordinates of payload
4) Input coordinates into excel spreadsheet to convert from dd.mm.ss to dd.ff
5) Input dd.ff into "Manual Coordinate Entry", set altitude to 1000ft (altitude doesn't work on ours, probably not yours too), Update
6) In the "Ground Station Data" window, it will update the "bearing position". You will use this later.
7) Find horizontal distance between your ground station and the payload (we use APRS.fi with a Google Maps overlay to find the distance between two pins)
8) Use excel spreadsheet and input altitude and horizontal distance (miles).
9) The spreadsheet will give you Decimal Degree (N/S°, E/W°), Altitude (ft), and Angle of Elevation (°).
10) Input "Bearing" (found in "Ground Station Data") and Elevation Angle (Excel Spreadsheet, our Servo "0°" is about 46° parallel to the ground so we add 46° to the calculated elevation angle), update
11) Rinse and repeat steps 3-10
We have our APRS beacon sending its location every 2 minutes.
This should be a good enough window to keep the balloon payload within range to receive still image and location data. If you
Excel Spreadsheet: Launch Day Manual Track.xlsx (30.59 KB)
The attached excel spreadsheet converts:
- Coordinates from whole degree, minutes, seconds (dd.mm.ss) to decimal degrees (dd.ff)
- Angle of elevation
2) Go to Settings and make sure you have these settings and follow:
- Make sure your COMS for Servos, RFD, and Arduino are correct
- Autotrack--> Disabled
- North Facing
- Google Maps your ground station location in degrees, minutes, seconds
- Open Excel spreadsheet (attached below)
- Fill in relevant information
- Input calculated coordinates
- Input your current altitude
- Update Settings
- Power Servos
3) Use SPOT Tracker, APRS beacon, Iridium Tracker, or whatever additional tracking system you use to find the initial coordinates of payload
4) Input coordinates into excel spreadsheet to convert from dd.mm.ss to dd.ff
5) Input dd.ff into "Manual Coordinate Entry", set altitude to 1000ft (altitude doesn't work on ours, probably not yours too), Update
6) In the "Ground Station Data" window, it will update the "bearing position". You will use this later.
7) Find horizontal distance between your ground station and the payload (we use APRS.fi with a Google Maps overlay to find the distance between two pins)
8) Use excel spreadsheet and input altitude and horizontal distance (miles).
9) The spreadsheet will give you Decimal Degree (N/S°, E/W°), Altitude (ft), and Angle of Elevation (°).
10) Input "Bearing" (found in "Ground Station Data") and Elevation Angle (Excel Spreadsheet, our Servo "0°" is about 46° parallel to the ground so we add 46° to the calculated elevation angle), update
11) Rinse and repeat steps 3-10
We have our APRS beacon sending its location every 2 minutes.
This should be a good enough window to keep the balloon payload within range to receive still image and location data. If you